When you build one of the world’s most powerful AI training clusters in someone’s backyard, the neighbors are going to have opinions. More than 10,000 Mississippi residents now have theirs on the record, in the form of a federal class action lawsuit.
The suit, filed on June 9 in the Northern District of Mississippi, names xAI, SpaceX, and xAI subsidiary MZX Tech as defendants. Plaintiffs allege that gas-fired turbines powering xAI’s data center operations in Southaven, Mississippi, have generated excessive noise and vibration that constitute a public nuisance, caused emotional distress, and dragged down their property values.
What’s actually happening in Southaven
The turbines at the center of this dispute power xAI’s Colossus data center complex, an AI training cluster servicing the Memphis region.
Residents living near the operation say the result has been a persistent wall of noise and vibration that has fundamentally altered their daily lives. The claims filed include public nuisance, negligence, emotional distress, and harm to property values. Plaintiffs are seeking both monetary damages and injunctive relief, which would mean a court could order changes to how the facility operates.
